Wrench



Patented Aug. 2, 1927.

` UNITED STATES ISAAC W. LITCHFIELD, 0F NEWTONVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS.

WRENCH.

Application led May 5, 1921.

' all devices of the types above referred to,

with which I am acquainted, separate movable means are necessary to effect relative adjustment of the head and handle and to retain the head in position after the adjustment has been made. An object of this invention is to provide a wrench of this typev wherein the means providing` for the angular adjustment of the head to its several positions is also automatically operable to retain the head in each position of adjustment.

Furthermore, many constructions of this character heretofore proposed are seriously defective in operation in that the adjusting and retaining means do not poss-ess suflicient strength and rigidity to 4stand the applied strain, which results in breaking o r slipping of the adjusting and retaining means when stress is transmitted by the handle. A further object of this invention is to provide a wrench having improved adjusting and retaining means sufficiently strong and so positioned and arranged that suchdefective operation thereof will be prevented. A further object of the invention is to provide a ratchet adjustment preventing relative movement between the jaw and operating member when the work is moved and made effective by movement of the operating member in a direction opposite to that in which it is desired to move the work. A further object' of the invention is to provide a wrench having angularly adjustable jaw and operating members and automatically operated locking and releasing connections between said members.

I Stated broadly, the wrench of the present invention comprises a head or jaw member and an operating member so connected, as

bythe coaction of yserrated slots in one of` .n said members and elements 'on the other of' Serial No. 467,182.

said members yieldably urged into engagement with the serrations of said slots, that said members are capable of Vrelative angular adjustment and retained automatically in their Iseveral positions of adjustment.

The invention is capable of receiving'a variety of mechanical expressions one of which is shown on the accompanying drawing, but itis to be expressly understood .that` the drawing is for purposes of illustration only and is not to be construed as a dennition of the limits of the invention, reference being had to the appended claims for that purpose. n

' ln the drawings:

`Fig. 1 is a plan of a wrench embodying the present invention showing one operating position of the head and operating memlOf;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the wrench;

. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a view similar to4 Fig. 1 showing another operating position ofthe head and operating member.

Referring in detail to the drawing, wherein the same reference characters `designate corresponding parts in theV several figures, j

the embodiment shown comprises a platelike head or jaw member 10 of any suitable material, shape and size, an operating member or handle 11 made of any suitable material, shape and size such as pressed steel pressed into the form ofv a channel, and yieldable means associated with the and operating members, shown inthe form of a leaf spring 12 one end 'of which issecur-ed to the operating member and the opposite end of which bears against the head or jaw f member to retainsaid members in'their several positions of adjustment in a manner to be herein described.

The head or jaw member 10 is formed with a jaw 13 of suitable shape and,L size ac'- cording to the general character of objects to be engaged, and with generally arcuate slots 14 and 15 which are spaced from each other in the plane of said head or jawy member, i. e. circumferentially of its imaginary axis of movement, and which are angularly disposed,'i. e. the lines of general direction ofl said slots being disposed at an angle to each ether, one or more walls of sai'd slots being serrated or otherwise suitably .formed to provide means of engagement with elements on the operating member. In the form illustrated, the inner wall of the slot 14 and the outer wall of the slot 15 are formed with a Vplurality of serrations or teeth 16 and 17 respectively, and the slots are sufhciently wide to provide for lateral movement therein of pins or bolts 18 and 19, rig# 4idly secured to the operating member, said pins or boltsextending through the slots 141 and respectively and suitablyV aligned openings in the operating member 11 and being held against displacement by threaded engagement with nuts20 and 21 respect-ively. rlhe pins or bolts 18 and 19 are adapted to engage the serrat-ions or teeth 16 and 17 respectively in the several adjusted positions of the head or aw member and the operating member, the engagement being` automatically made effective by the spring 12 after each adjustment `of said members.

The leaf spring 12 may be mounted in any suitable way. In the form shown it is positioned to bear vagainst relatively opposite surfaces of pins or other suitable elements 22 and 23 disposed in spaced relation and extending through the walls of the operating member 11 adjacent the open side of the channel, said pins being` rigidly. connected with the operating member in any suitable manner, as by riveting their free ends thereto. One end of the leaf spring 12 is provided with a stop or 'detent 24 which engages the pin 23 to prevent displacement 0f the leaf spring. Constant tension onthe leaf spring 12 is maintained by its arrangement and association with the head 10 .and the pins 22 and 23, while the spring and connections betvveen the jaw and operating `menibers provide forrelatively lateral and rof tary movement of said members in order to facilita-te their adjustment.

The embodiment of the invention herein shown also includes a ratchet adjustment, the serrations o r teeth of one or more of the slots being suitably formed for this purpose. Referring toFigs. 1 and 5, it will be noted that the serrations or teeth 16 are inclined in one direction, and, while normally preventing relative movement between the head or jaw `member andthe operating member when the work is being moved, the inclination of the serrations or teeth permits ready movement of the operating member relatively to- `the jaw member in a direction opposite to that in which-the work is being moved to facilitate relative adjustment of the two members.

In the posit-ion shownin Fig-1 the jawv 13 may be .engaged with the work or object to be moved by the wrench, the pins orA bolts 18 and 19 being engagedwith the serrations or `teeth 16 and`17 respectively. The leaf spring 12 automatically retains `the .jaw and operating members in their position of afdpose the head is provided with a peripheral knurled j or otherwise suitably formed portion25 adapted to be engaged by the thumb.. The leaf spring 12 and the slot and bolt connect-ions between the jaw and operating members provide for relative lateral and row tary movement between said members, be cause pressure of the thumb against the head 10 overcomes the tensionof leaf spring12 imparting a lateral movement to the head t-o free the teeth from the bolts whereupon a rotary movement may be imparted to the head to effect adjustment of the same. By similar operations the head can be adjusted to any positionwithin the limits of the slots 14e andl, according to the angularity of H the handle which it is desired to obtain.

lVhen the ratchet adjustment above referred to is provided, the head or jaw `Inem` ber 10 and the operating member 11 are adjusted to their several positions, selectively,

by movement imparted to` the `operating member in al direction oppositer to that in which it is desired to move the work or object, the serrations or teeth 16 and 17 and the pins or bolts 18 and 19 being )formed as heretofore described to provide for their disengagement land angular movement of the operating member. j j .j j

My invention is susceptible to variousembodiments within the scope of the following claims some of which will now readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art, and it is to be expressly understood that the present disclosure illustrating one embodiment is not to be regarded as limiting the invention, as changes may bemade in the details of construction, arrangement and pro; portion ofparts, and certain features j, used without other features, `without departing from thespirit of this invention. Reference is therefore to be had to the claims hereto appended for a definition of thelimits of the invention.` f i 1. i A wrench comprising a jaw member, operating member, and connections `therebe-` tween eomprising a. plurality of angularly disposed serrated slot-s in one .of said mem bers, andmeans on the othernof said ,mein-y bers simultaneously engaging arserration in each said slot. A i

2. A wrench comprising an operatingV member and a head member havingjjaws formed therein, each said member being ad-` justable as a unit to different angular posi# tions,and means providing for relative `adjustment of said members comprising slots formed in one kmember at a large angle with respect to ca ch other and connecting means on the other member simultaneously enga-ging in both said slots.

3. A wrench comprising an operating member and a head member' having jaws formed therein, means providing for relative adjustment of said members comprising angularlyi'elated slots formed in one membcr and connecting means on the other member simultaneously engaging in both said slots, and means for retaining said members in position after each adjustment thereof.

e. A wrench comprising a jaw member, an operating member, connections therebetween providing for relative angular adjustment of saidmembers to several positions, said connections comprising a plurality or' angularly disposed serrated slots in one of said members and means on the other of said members engaging in the serration of said slots, and yieldable means for automatically retaining said members in their positionsoi relative adjustment.

5. A wrench comprising an operating` member and al head member having' jaws formed therein, and means providing for relative angular adjustment of said members comprising angularly disposed serrated slots formed in one member and connecting means on the other member engaging in the serrations of said slots.

G. A wrench comprising any operating member and a jaw member, connections therebetween providing for relative angular' adjustment of said jaw member and said operating member, said connections comprising a plurality of angularly disposed serrated slots in one of said members and pins on the other of said members adapted to engage the serrations of said slots, and yieldable means for retaining said pins in engagement with the serrations of said slots and providing for relative adjustment between said jaw and operating members.

7. A wrench comprising an operating member and a head member having jaws formed therein, and means providing for relative movement of said members to erl'ect relative adjustments therebetween, said means comprising a plurality of serrated slots angularly related to each other formed in one of said members and connecting means on the other of said members simultaneously engaging in the serrations of both of said slots.

8. A wrench including two members connected for relative adjustment, one of said members being provided with .a plurality of angularly related slots spaced from each other in the plane of said member, a wall of each slot being formed with serrations, and a plurality 'of elements on the other member operative to engage the respective serrations selectively.

9. A wrench comprising an operating member, a member provided with jaws and havingcircumferentially spaced slots formed therein, and a yielding pivotal connection formed in one member and lconnecting means on the other member simultaneously engaging in said slots, and means normally retaining said connecting means in their positions of adjustment and displaceable to provide for movement of the connecting means while said adjustments are being effected.

11. A wrench comprisingr a jaw member and an operating member relatively adjustable yto several positions, one of said members beingI provided with slots `and teeth'formed in relatively opposite walls of said slots, means on the other member engaging said teeth in the several adjusted positions of the members, and means associated with said members for retaining the same in their positions of adjustment.

l2. A wrench comprising a jaw member and an operating member relatively adjustable to several positions, one of said members being provided with angularly disposed slots and teeth formed in relatively opposite walls of said slots, the other member engaging the teeth of both slots in the several adjusted positions of the members.

13. A wrench comprising jaw and operating members connected for relative adjustment to several positions, one of said members being provided with angularly disposed slots and teeth formed in relatively opposite walls of said slots, the other member engaging the teeth or both slots in the several `adjusted positions or the members, and yieldable means associated with said members for retaining the vsame in their p0- sitions of adjustment.

14. In a wrench, the combination of an voperating member, a head provided with a jaw portion and slots, a wall of each slot being formed with inclined teeth, connecting means extending through said slots from the operating member and adapted to engage said teeth, and means for holding said connecting means in engagement with said teeth, said connecting means cooperating with said teeth to provide a ratchet adjustment.

15. In a wrench, the combination of an operating member, a head provided with a jaw port-ion and slots, said head and the operating member` being connected for re1- ative adjustment toseveral positions, teeth formed in relatively `opposite Walls of said slots, connecting means extending through said slots from the operating member and adapted to engage said teeth, and yieldable means associated with the `head and said operating member and normally urging said Connecting `means into engagement With said teeth. i I

16.- A 'Wrench comprising 'an angularly movable head provided with a plurality of slots eircumferentially spaced with respect to the axis of said head, a wall of each slot being provided With serrations, an operating member, and connections between the head and operating" member engaging the serrations ot eaoh slot.

17. A Wrench comprising an angularly movable head provided with a plurality ot slots oiroumferentially spaced with respect to the axis of said head, an operating memg ber, connections between the head and`operating member engagingin both slots and displaeeabletherein to provide for relative adjustment of the members, and resilient means `for holding the parts in position after each adjustment of the same.

18. A Wrench comprising an operating member, a head member rotatably mounted on the operating member and having rigid jawsv formed therein, and means providing 'for adjustment of said members to different angular positions comprising angularly related slots in one member and connecting. means on theother member engaging in both slots and displaeeable therein to permit rotation of said head member about van imagi nary axis outside of said slots.

i9. A Wrench comprising an operating member and a jaw member, means connecting said members'and providing for relative movement ofthe same to different positions of angular adjustment, said means comprising angularly disposed serrated slots in one member and a connecting device on the other member extending through said slots, .and means normally retaining said connecting device engaged in the vserrations at eaohposition of adjustment of the parts, said means being operable by relativermovement of said rst-mentioned members torelease the oonneeting device from engagement vvith said serrations. A v

In `testimony whereof I have signed this specilication. i

ISAAC WV. LITCHFIELD. 

